Liz Taylor steps into creative hot seat at Leo Burnett and Publicis Groupe in the US
US creative high flyer Liz Taylor is the new CCO of Leo Burnett Worldwide (based in Chicago) and, just as significantly, US creative lead of owner Publicis Communications. Publicis Communications’ global CCO is Nick Law who joined a couple of years ago from R/GA. Publicis Communications’ other creative agencies include Saatchi & Saatchi, Publicis Worldwide and BBH.
Taylor (below), who has also held a senior global role at Ogilvy, joins from FCB where she was CCO at the Interpublic agency’s Chicago office. FCB’s global CCO is Susan Credle.
Law says: “I’ve followed and admired Liz and her work for years. She is a thoughtful and modern creative leader whose work and expertise spans storytelling, experience and innovation. Her role is a new one that will straddle the Leo Burnett network and (Publicis) Groupe’s broader creative capabilities.”
Taylor says: “I’m looking forward to working in partnership with Nick to deliver on the promise of modern creativity. We will work tirelessly to demonstrate how the firepower of Leo Burnett and Publicis Communications agencies will propel our clients into the future.”
Taylor takes over from Burnett global CCO Mark Tutssel who’s due to retire in June.
Being a CCO ain’t what it used to be on the ever-shifting sands of today’s holding company-owned agencies. When Tutssel took the Leo Burnett job life was rather simpler, it was a big global agency with big international clients that happened to be owned by a French holding company.
Now such networks are more subordinate to their owners with the really big deals and policies determined by the holding company. Publicis Groupe is divided into four units: Publicis Communications (creative agencies), Publicis Media, Publicis Health and Publicis.Sapient its consultancy business.
Taylor, with Law, will have the tricky task of maintaining Burnett’s status as an important US player while, somehow or other, making Publicis Communications the big creative deal.
